Last Hope
by InkedGirl24
Summary: I bet you think you've read this story before, probably from Varric's novel no doubt. I wouldn't blame you in thinking that you know the whole story, it's a good read. Action, adventure, hero's banded together for the common good, romance. Romance...I suppose that's what you would call it. But it was so much more complicated than that. He was so much more complicated than that.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Mad, ignorant, delusional.

These were but a few of a long list of uncharitable words thundering through my head as I stomped my way through the underbrush of the forest floor.

Branches snapped as I shouldered my way past a particularly stubborn thorn bush and punting a decent sized stone with the toe of my boot, uncaring where it landed as I continued to scowl at the ground instead.

The anger had been boiling inside me for the better part of an hour now and these small childish acts upon my surroundings were doing little to improve my mood.

After dinner Keeper Deshanna had pulled me aside, the lines of her aged face somehow sinking deeper in the flickering glow of the communal fire.

"There is something I must ask of you da'len, and I do not ask it lightly."

"Ask or tell"? I had replied with a small smirk to keep the bite from my words.

Beloved by the clan, Keeper Deshanna had been the heart of the Free Marches elves since before my parents were born, no one knew her actual age though rumours were rife that she was immortal like the ancient elves of legend.

Deshanna was the sole magic wielder of the clan, but also our historian, peace keeper and guide.

However she was along a task master and a strict authoritarian and I did my level best to wind her up every chance I could get.

"This is a serious matter child, now is not the time for levity", Deshanna had replied with thin lips.

Alarm bells started ringing when I took note of the worry that had set in the back of her eyes, Deshanna was many things, but a worry-wort was not one of them.

Taking this into account I had grudgingly dipped my head by way of apology and proceeded to follow her into the Keepers private tent, trepidation making my feet feel heavy.

While Deshanna may not have been a worry-wort, I was, covered up usually by an easy going attitude. But with the look in her eyes and the weary set of her shoulders, making jokes was the furthest thing from my mind.

"It's a bit late to be going on a hunt isn't it?", drawled a familiar voice from behind me.

My scowl only deepened as my pointed ears picked up the sound of footsteps, footsteps I would have heard long before if I hadn't been so busy taking my anger out on the forest around me.

"Is there a new species of blind and deaf deer no one has told me about? Because if that's the case our job is about to get a lot easier."

I didn't bother to reply to the sarcasm, instead I settled for tugging at the neck of my fraying hunting coat; stomping through a forest in a temper was surprisingly hot work, despite the sun having set hours ago.

The owner of the unwelcome witticism finally fell into step beside me before turning to walk backwards so that we were face to face.

Hazel eyes twinkled at me with mischief as I glared through my lashes, determined to stay pissed off.

Reddish brown curls the colour of fresh clay bounced atop his head as he continued to walk blindly backwards, occasionally unsteady on his feet due to the uneven ground.

I always was the more graceful one; I thought with a private smirk.

"Or maybe your on the hunt for a new private spot for us to pass the evening in?" his eyebrows wiggled suggestively, eyes full of mirth.

"Not tonight Arwyn." I sighed, sounding just as exhausted as I felt.

Arwyn had been by my side for as long as I could remember. First as children sharing lessons with the other younglings in the Keepers tent. Then from playing in the forest to our current roles as hunters and protectors of the clan.

However things had become decidedly more complicated after a night of celebrating our step into our adulthood. A day marked by Valasin or 'blood writing' tattoos now adorning both our faces.

In the three years since that night it had become a regular occurrence for us to find a quiet spot out of camp to find some comfort from each other, a little escape from the daily pressures that we had on our shoulders day to day.

Although this had been enough for me, in recent months Arwyn had started to act increasingly like he was courting me. Giving me extra food, small practical gifts that he shrugged off as just formalities for helping a fellow hunter and clansmen.

I chose to ignore the twinge of guilt as his eyes dulled slightly at my shut down, his strut turning to more of a casual swagger.

By this point I had finally found my destination and I sighed as some of tension eased from my shoulders.

The cliff outcropping was just big enough for us both to sit, a thick blanket of grass and loose stones making the spot just shy of comfortable. But it was the view and isolation that drew me here.

Directly across was another set of cliffs. A mirror of the forest my clan were currently camped in. Below, thundering at the chalky cliffs was the sea, grey and heaving.

"Out with if Lana," Arwyn snapped suddenly, barely audible over the sound of the ocean below, he always did have a temper.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the flex of impatience in his jaw, his fingers viciously tearing up clumps of grass and weed.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for the Conclave," was my reply the wind snatching the words from my lips and I said them.

Arwyn paused in his assault of the foliage to scowl, "what?"

"The humans and their mages are having some sort of 'summit'," I replied with air quotes on the word the Deshanna had used.

"What's that got to do with us?" he replied with no small amount of venom, a muscle in his cheek clenching.

"No idea really," I shrugged, eyes on the sea.

"Deshanna just said that I am to go there, learn everything I can and report back."

"On your own." It wasn't a question so much as a disbelieving statement.

"She can't spare any-"

"Why spare anyone at all? Let the humans deal with their own problems. We have enough of our own to be getting on with."

Irritation at being cut off and Arwyns sulky attitude set my back straight and my teeth clenching.

"Elves are involved as well Arwyn. They have them in the mage prisons and Deshanna says the mage hunters and magic barers are openly fighting. Everyone is being caught in the crossfire."

"Flat-ears you mean, they are as good as human," Arwyn huffed humourlessly.

I didn't bother to respond, too tired to get into an argument he seemed so desperate to have.

"It's done Arwyn. I agreed to do it and I leave at first light."

"Like she gave you much of a choice," was his mumbled reply.

Taring my eyes from the view for the first time since we sat down, I turned to watch my companion as he straightened from his slouch, joint's popping loudly.

Hazel eyes locked with mine and I watched as a jumble of emotions passed behind his eyes, usually I loved how easily I could ready his face but tonight was not one of those times.

Arwyn began to lean toward me, a familiarly heated look settling in the emotional storms place.

I turned away and fixed my eyes back on the sea so I didn't have to see the hurt on his face.

"Can we just sit?" I asked, the words sounded hollow and far away from my ears.

"Sure Lana," he said softly as he shifted closer, sliding a comforting arm around me as I placed my head on his shoulder, "anything for you."

Despite the warmth and safety I felt in that moment, the hollow pit in my chest didn't ease and I thought that I didn't know what I wanted and doubted I ever would.


	2. Chapter 2

There was something foul and bitter in my mouth. Tiny pieces of grit between my teeth and under my tongue. I rolled blindly to the side as a wave of nausea swept over me and I promptly vomited up nothing but bile.

When the rolling of my insides had finally stopped I slowly heaved myself up onto my knees and took in my surroundings.

Not that there was much to see.

The air was thick with a pea soup fog, the air heavy with damp and cold, leaving me shivering, my hair sticking to my face.

Aside from the small glob of vomit before me the rest of the ground was dry and black, with a scorched quality to the dirt. Chunks of shiny jagged rock littered the black soil for as far as I could see, which wasn't very far at all.

Confident that no further vomit was on its way I dragged myself to my feet, taking a moment to breath through the various hurts that made themselves known all over my body.

"Ow," I grumbled to no one in particular, rolling my neck.

With nothing but a feint glow in the distance as a guide I began to walk, all the while my mind raced with questions.

Where was I? How did I get here? Where had I been?

Everything seemed to be a muddle, my thoughts sluggish. My instincts however were on high alert, the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention at the eyes I couldn't see watched from the gloom.

Feeling increasingly panicked I wrapped my arms around myself in a poor attempt to make myself as small as possible, even though I stuck out like an elf in a chantry with this much flat open space.

Moving as quickly and quietly as I dared I peered through the greasy clumps of pale hair that had escaped my messy bun, eyes darting about my head trying to spot any movement in the gloom.

Usually I was the predator and I wasn't much liking this new role reversal.

After an undetermined amount of walking and several 'almost' panic attacks at the increasingly unsettling noises behind me the fog was broken by a pure golden light that was coming from the top of what bizarrely seemed like a steep flight of stairs carved crudely from a huge lump of rock.

I blinked several times in order to clear the spots from my vision, the bubbling anxiety giving way to something more akin to excitement. I knew full well that what was before me could be just as dangerous as whatever was behind me, but by this point I had lost the ability to care.

As if sensing my new disposition to my circumstances, the small sounds of clicking and shuffling stopped all pretence of just stalking.

Unable to help myself I whipped around to finally see what had been following me.

I regretted that choice immediately.

Hundreds of wet, glittering eyes shone at my from the gloom, legs as long as my entire body scrabbling through the dirt, dragging hairy, bulbous bodies in their wake. They were even climbing over each other in their desperation to reach me.

With no weapons and no understanding of the landscape around me to hide, all thought flew from my head.

In a matter of seconds I went from a run to a flat out sprint toward the light, my poorly fitted boots struggling to find purchase on the loose ground.

Unheedingly I threw myself onto the stairs, jagged edges slicing into my hands, arms and legs as I scrabbled on all fours up the steep surface, slipping repeatedly until I was close to hyperventilating.

Sobbing from panic and desperation I grit my teeth and threw myself forward, eyes glued to the golden light which was slowly taking form the closer I got.

With one last push and almost out of my mind with terror I reached up with all I had and grasped the golden hand offered to me.


	3. Chapter 3

Someone was holding my left hand.

I was also lying on my side, freezing cold stone biting into my left cheek and leeching my body heat.

Feet shifted behind me and I noted the quality of the sound as it echoed off more stone.

Underground, stone walls and floor. Best guess, dungeon.

Hoping to glean as much information as I could without giving myself away I continued to play dead, willing myself to relax and focus. Something I was well practiced at when staking out for a hunt. Deer are incredibly skittish creatures, as were rabbits.

My whole frame ached, whether it was from lying on the cold ground or from 'before' I didn't know but it took almost everything in me not to shift into a more comfortable position.

A dull throb was coming from my left palm and whoever was holding it was flexing the skin and turning my hand this way and that. I thought that perhaps they were a healer assessing the scrapes and bruises I had earned on my climb up the black staircase.

I changed my mind when the hot flow of agony burst into my palm and began to crawl its way up my arm.

Out of my mind from the pain and acting on pure instinct I yanked my hand free from the torturers grasp and with my hands under me I snapped out my foot.

There was a surprised grunt as the heel of my boot connected with my attacker.

It was too dark to see them and the pain was still climbing turning me into a wild animal. I snarled and began to scramble backward when there was a sound from behind and I was struck in the back of the head.

As pain was what knocked me out in the first place, I suppose it was fitting that pain was what woke me up again.

I hissed in discomfort as the burning flared in my left palm again, though this time it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

As my eyes had been closed the last time my hand had decided to

spontaneously combust I hadn't been able to witness the flare of green light that sat in my palm just under the skin. I blinked at my hand dumbly, turning it over and trying to flex my stiff fingers.

It also appeared that whilst I was unconsciousness, my captors had decided to tie my wrists together as well as my ankles, leaving me to precariously sit on my heels.

Now not only did my hand hurt but the back of my head was pounding, the cold air stinging my scalp.

Gingerly I lifted my hands to feel the back of my head but was stopped in my tracks when the guards I hadn't even noticed up until this point drew their swords in tandem and levelled them at my neck.

I slowly lowered my hands back into my lap and decided to stubbornly stare ahead and ignore my guards when a door I hadn't know was right in front of me burst open so hard it swung back to hit the wall with a crash.

The sudden noise startled me into a jump and I was nicked on the neck from one of the swords at my throat.

I held in an irritated hiss as I felt a trickle of blood creep down into the neck of my jacket.

A tall human woman came charging through the doorway just as I raised my head to glare at the guard holding the sword that had cut me. Our eyes locked and I realized I was staring up at the face of a terrified boy. It took me a moment to realize that the fear in his eyes was directed at me and his sword was shaking.

Without warning my face was grabbed roughly by the jaw and my head turned so hard that I cricked my neck.

"Who do you work for?" the woman growled into my face, the face she was slowly crushing with her grip.

Dark brown eyes blazed with rage from a severe scowl, square jaw clenched.

With my hackles raised at the poor treatment I was receiving I held my tongue and stared back stubbornly.

My dark haired interrogator dropped my face and whirled away, armour clad hand going to the back of her head and rubbing the short hairs roughly.

"Do you have any idea the damage you have caused? The people you've killed!" she shouted.

She turned back just as quickly to get in my face again, though thankfully not to grab it this time, I could feel bruises forming already.

I heavy sinking feeling trickled down my body at her words.

"What do you mean 'killed'?" I blurted out, forgetting my plan to stay silent.

The woman blinked at me for a moment in disbelief before yanking my left hand up and in turn lifting _me _a few inches of the stone floor.

"How can you not know?!", she said, shaking me for good measure, "this is what caused this whole mess!"

Out of seemingly nowhere a hooded woman appeared from behind the first and firmly pulled her off me.

My knees barked in protest at the abrupt landing, the two women talking amongst themselves for a moment. I took note that the first woman's name was Cassandra.

The hooded one turned to me, whilst the other stepped into the background. The new one, though appearing calmer was definitely the one to be watching for. Behind that pretty, girlish face was a predator.

"I honestly have no idea what your talking about. The last thing I remember is being chased by creatures and then a golden woman pulled me to safety. After that nothing."

Except for the brief kicking incident but I was pretty sure they were aware of that.

"You were here for the Conclave, were you not?" The red head replied ignoring what probably sounded like insane rambling pouring from my mouth.

"I was," I nodded, "but I don't remember any of it."

"Everyone who was at the Conclave is dead, except for you," the woman Cassandra said stepping forward with a slightly calmer demeanour than before.

"We are running out of time Cassandra, you will have to explain whilst you are on your way to the Breach. Any questions can be answered once the danger has passed"

Cassandra nodded in agreement to her colleague and in moments the rope at my ankles was cut free and I was being half dragged behind Cassandra leaving the other woman behind.


	4. Chapter 4

"You know, this would probably go a lot quicker if you weren't dragging me by my arm. I CAN walk on my own."

The woman Cassandra glared at me from the corner of her eye and huffed like a stroppy cat as she hauled me up a small flight of stairs and through a heavy wooden door into what appeared to be a large hall.

Cassandra didn't give me time to take in my new surroundings as she marched us to the right and out of the building.

Surprisingly it was daytime, I had assumed, probably from being kept in the dark, that it would be as dark outside as it had been inside.

I blinked my eyes in irritation as I adjusted to the sudden change and took a moment to breath in the crisp, fresh air. The chill of the wind making me shiver.

As we came to a stop just outside the building I froze, and Cassandra stopped before me and pointed to the sky.

"You see that? "she gestured emphatically at the huge, churning hole in the sky. A thrill of panic shot down my spine as I realized that it was the exact same colour as the thing on my hand.

"That is what we are calling the Breach. It appeared after the explosion at the Conclave. Since then smaller rifts have been appearing elsewhere allowing demons to enter our world. Many people have died, are STILL dying."

Suddenly the burning in my palm flared into agony and I fell to my knees, desperately clasping my left wrist as though it would stop the spreading fire up my arm.

Despite the pain I didn't fail to notice the flare of light from the Breach that co-incised with my new pain.

"The mark on your hand is connected to all this somehow," Cassandra said quietly, kneeling in front of me.

Gone was the rage that had been ever present on her face since I awoke, in its place was a weary, hunted look.

"But I don't know what THIS is," I ground out through the pain, shifting uncomfortably on the snowy ground.

"Neither do we. But there is an apostate who has expertise that he says may help get us answers and stop all this," Cassandra replied, full lips pinched.

"You don't seem very convinced," I said with a pained smirk as she helped me back to my feet with a much gentler hand than before.

"At this point it does not matter what I think. We are running out of time and as that Breach expands so does the mark. And it IS killing you."

Cassandra began leading my forward, though this time without dragging me along.

"I gathered as much," I replied swallowing the panic.

I wasn't given long to mull over my impending doom as we began walking through a small settlement of wooden buildings. Worryingly no one was running around in a panic as I expected. Instead they stood outside their buildings, huddle together against the cold.

From the looks on their faces it seemed they had all but given up and were just waiting for the inevitable.

I could feel the hate burning into my back as we passed, Cassandra was aware of the attention also it seemed as she moved in closer, though not close enough to touch.

Thankfully we were soon out of the small village and headed towards a stone bridge, Cassandra setting a brutal pace that had me almost jogging to keep up on my shorter legs.

As we set foot on the bridge, she abruptly turned to me, a small dagger in her right hand.

"If we survive, I can promise you a fair trial. This would go a lot easier if you came willingly," Cassandra said quietly, not moving.

"I want to help." I replied bluntly.

"You do?" she replied with an almost childlike surprise.

"What else am I going to do? If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well help as best I can," I said not bothering to hide the humour I found at her surprised expression.

"Besides, I want answers. Never could pass up on a mystery," I said with a wink and a smirk I didn't feel, offering my bound wrists to my stunned captor.

To her credit, Cassandra returned a strained, if not outright awkward smile and sliced through the ropes. I got the impression that smiling didn't come naturally to her, which was a shame, it lit up her face prettily.

When the second bridge we came to minutes later blew out from under us I wondered for a moment if the mark on my hand would get a chance to kill me because it seemed that the environment was out for my blood as well.

By some miracle both Cassandra and I survived to fall, a little worse for wear but mostly unharmed though I now had a gash on my forehead that was trickling blood into my left eye.

Cassandra was on her feet before me but just as she held out a hand to help me to my feet there was a resounding BOOM from behind.

Cassandra whirled in a blink, sword and shield at the ready, feet spread for balance.

With Cassandra planted in front of me I couldn't see what was ahead. However, I could hear it. Whatever it was let out a sound I had never heard before and I watched numbly as Cassandra charged forward like a pissed off Druffalo.

With her out of my line of sight I could finally see the hissing creature, my stomach dropping as I laid eyes on it.

It was shadow given form, black and slithery. It had no feet that I could see, instead it oozed over the ground like a slug. Although it was slow its sinewy arms ended in hooked talons that lashed out with surprising speed.

I took this in within seconds and was on my feet and digging through the rubble for a weapon as a second creature landed and made its way toward me.

I roughly scraped the blood and hair from my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket as I scrabbled with my other hand.

I could hear the monsters leathery hide dragging across the ice as it approached, the clang of Cassandras sword and shield in the background telling me that she wouldn't be swooping in to save me anytime soon.

It seemed that someone benevolent had taken pity on me finally after such a shitty day as I spotted a bow that had somehow escaped being crushed, a few arrows were strewn on the ice a little further to my right.

A borderline hysterical laugh escaped me as I grabbed the bow and dove across the ice toward the arrows, narrowly missing the claws that whistled over my head.

In one fluid movement I snatched up a single arrow, notching it as I swivelled, aimed and fired.

Having never fought one of the creatures before I had decided to aim at what I assumed was its head and luckily I guessed correctly as the arrow hit with a 'thunk', the creature disintegrating into green light that floated away on the wind.

Heart thundering in my chest I looked over to see Cassandra had also dispatched her attacker and was stomping toward me, sword and shield still out.

I scrambled to my feet, bow still in hand as she stopped abruptly before me, sword pointed at my chest, eyes burning.

"Drop your weapon, now," she ground out, the muscles in her strong jaw flexing.

"Are you joking?! That THING just came at me and I had nothing to defend myself with! What was I supposed to do, shake its hand!" I hissed, throwing my arms up.

There was a tense silence as Cassandra stared at me assessing, a war clearly taking place in her mind at what to do with me.

Slowly she put away her weapons and nodded, resigned.

"Your right. Let us find what we can in the way of supplies from the rubble and…. bodies then we can be on our way," she said briskly walked over to the ruined bridge without looking at me.

"What are those things," I asked after some time walking in silence.

By this point we had fought our way through a variety of creatures I had never laid eyes on before, all of them falling from the sky in a ball of green fire.

"The first ones we encountered were Shades. But as you have seen the demons take many forms and present different dangers. If we get through this, I'm sure the apostate will answer any of your questions, he has a rather bizarre fascination with them," Cassandra replied flatly.

Before I could respond the sound of fighting met my ears.

"That must be the others, we need to hurry!"

Without a backward glance Cassandra began running up the steps leading to whatever lay above.

The exertion from my multiple injuries and the ever-increasing pain in my hand was beginning to take its toll and all I could manage was a jog as I followed.

It seemed I had gained some small amount of trust from our brief time together as when I reached the top Cassandra was already in the thick of the fighting ahead, not even bothering to check if I had followed.

I was surrounded by the ruins of a stone building; the only parts of the structure left were a few walls and the small short set of steps I was stood at the top of.

Below in what appeared to be epicentre of an explosion, a battle was raging. A few soldiers, a dwarf wielding a crossbow and a tall mage were fighting an alarming quantity of Shades.

Hanging in the air just above everyone's heads was a glowing green tear, almost the mirror to the one on my palm.

Deciding that now was not the time to be admiring the view I began to snipe from my elevated position, quickly helping to dispatching the demons. Though unfortunately not fast enough to save the two soldiers.

With the battle finally over I slowly made my way down the steps, noting that my feet were beginning to drag slightly.

The quality of the pain in my left hand was increasing the closer I got to the rift, but for once I barely noticed it, eyes glued to the glowing green fractures in the air.

I could have sworn I heard whispers coming from it, though I couldn't make out what was being said.

"Quickly! Before more come through!" someone shouted in my ear.

My left had was grabbed roughly from where I had been hugging it close to my chest, startling me from my trance.

The Rift flared becoming so bright I couldn't see to whom the voice belonged.

I watched through the haze of green as a bolt of energy snapped down to connect with the mark and hooking into my flesh.

I bit back a scream as whoever held my wrist began to pull my arm back, drawing the rope of energy taught.

Just as I thought I couldn't take anymore there was a snap from above and my arm was flung back at the loss of connection, leaving me to stumble.

Immediately I hugged my throbbing arm to my chest protectively and turned to glare at the person who had just man handled me.

HE was bent over double, hands placed above his knees, breathing heavily as thought HE had done all the hard work.

The man raised is head, probably feeling the daggers I was sending into the top of his bald head.

Eyes the colour of a lightning storm locked with mine, I saw no apology in them.

"You were right, the mark does work," Cassandra said dumbly.

He finally looked to Cassandra, freeing me from the intense stare he was giving me and straightened to his full height. His considerable height.

Though his long, pointed ears clearly marked him as one of my own, I had never seen an elf of his height and stature. Though long limbed and slender, he was also broad and solid.

Realizing I was staring I looked down at my hand in embarrassment, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Yes, it seems I was correct."

I looked back up with a raised eyebrow to see a slightly smug glint in his eye, though I could detect nothing from his voice or expression.

"I apologize for grabbing you without warning," he said turning back to me, clasping his hands behind his back.

I nodded in acceptance of the apology though I was still pissed.

"It felt like I was an anchor," I blurted to no one in particular, fingers massaging the mark.

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked from beside me.

"The energy was like a rope or chain. I felt it hook into the mark and all I had to do was pull. It was like tugging a door closed," I replied meeting her openly curious eyes.

"Crudely put but essentially correct," the man dipped his head with what I gathered was meant to be praise but just came across as patronising.

"So, the mark COULD close the Breach," Cassandra breathed with relief, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Possibly, although I doubt it will be so simple," he replied seriously, face a blank mask.

"Finally, some good news! And here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever."

With everything that had happened with the rift and meeting the strange elven man I had completely forgotten about the dwarf.

The man in question came swaggering over from the other side of the small battlefield, swinging the crossbow he had been wielding to sit over his shoulder. He was dressed in well worn clothing made up of mostly browns and reds. Gold adorned his neck and piercings in his ears.

His face was handsome in a scruffy, roguish way and he had a friendly warmth behind his eyes that instantly set me at ease.

"Varric Tethras, rogue, storie- "

"Your joking," I blurted, cutting him off.

Surprise left him fumbling with the arrow he had been twirling between his fingers, mouth open and brown eyes blinking.

"Varric Tethras the writer?" I asked, barely getting the words out around my huge smile.

Recovering quickly Varric smirked, resuming his arrow twirling and coming to a stop beside Cassandra, who looked less than happy at his arrival.

"So, you've heard of me." It was a statement more than a question, his eyes flicking to Cassandra cockily.

Cassandra scoffed and crossed her arms tightly over her breath plate, scowl firmly back in place.

"Heard of you! I've read every book you've published!" I replied, barely keeping myself still with the excitement bubbling inside me.

"How does a Dalish elf possibly get their hands on a novel by Varric," Cassandra huffed, though I could tell the dig was directed at Varric and not myself.

"I'm Dalish Cassandra, not a hermit," I rolled my eyes with a smirk.

Cassandra had a slightly admonished look on her face after that, which only seemed to entertain the dwarf further though he made no comment.

"Nice to meet a fan," Varric said with a wink and a playful nudge.

"My name is Solas if there are to be introductions," the elven man finally cut in with a small bow, "I am please to see you still live."

"Solas was the one taking care of you when you were first found. Kept the mark from spreading while you slept," Varric chipped in.

That was when I noticed the small, deep cut just off the centre of Solas's forehead.

Memories of a dark room, panic and a well-placed boot heel came flooding back.

"I am SO sorry! I thought you were torturing me!" I said slightly horrified and trying smother the amusement I felt at the same time.

"Geez, she thought you were torturing her?! You need to work on your bedside manner Chuckles," Varric gwarfed.

True to the nickname a delightfully gentle laugh fell from Solas's lips and I couldn't help but laugh a little myself.

"No apology necessary. I will survive. However, I think it would be prudent to move on Cassandra, time is running short", he said with a small smile and nodded to Cassandra.

"Agreed, let us hurry."

And with that we all fell into step behind her all humour forgotten.


End file.
